Govt: 3,104 drugs found to be ‘not of standard quality’
New Delhi: As many as 3,104 drugs were found to be “not of standard quality” while 245 were found to be spurious out of 1,16,323 drug samples tested between April 2024 and March 2025, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
Responding to a query, Union Health minister J P Nadda said that 961 prosecutions were launched for manufacturing, sale and distribution of spurious/adulterated drugs during the same period, according to information received from the drugs controllers of various states and UTs.
Sharing details, Nadda said 1,06,150 samples were tested between April 2023 and March 2024 of which 2,988 were declared to be not of standard quality while 282 were found to be spurious.
He said 604 prosecutions were launched for manufacturing, sale and distribution of spurious/adulterated drugs during the same period.
The ‘counterfeit medicines’ terminology is not defined under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Rules made thereunder.
However, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act defines spurious, adulterated, and misbranded drugs, which include counterfeit drugs, Nadda said.
A nation-wide survey (2014-16) was conducted to assess the extent of ‘not of standard quality (NSQ)/spurious drugs’, for which 47,012 drug samples were drawn from both governments and private sources.
Manufacturing of spurious/adulterated/NSQ drugs is a punishable offence under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
The Act empowers the concerned licensing authorities to take necessary legal action in such cases.
Furthermore, manufacturing, sale, and distribution of any prohibited or banned drug is also a punishable offence under the Act, and the licensing authorities concerned are authorised to initiate appropriate action in this regard, Nadda said. Use of any spurious/adulterated/NSQ drugs, etc., is detrimental and may cause adverse effects on a patient’s health.
Isolated complaints regarding such drugs as and when received are investigated along with the concerned licensing authorities for taking action, the health minister stated.
